Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-12-09
COL. SMITH IN NEW YORK.
HE SAYS HE WILL vINDICATE
HIMSELF IN A FEW DAYS.
Sketch of His Career-A Harvard Grnd-
untc, n Candidate for Congress and an
IL. B.-Louisvilie's Best Circles
Much Excited Over tho Affair.

NEW YORK. Dec. 3.--Tho Herald publishes
an interview with Col. Nicholas Smith who
has arrived in town from trip out west
The reccut affair between Col. Smith aud
! MIR. Ovinston has received fresh impetus
| by q preposterous rumor that Mr.. Ovingion
was on the war path and thirsting for Col
Smiths gore
When tho colonel was informed Of tho ru-
NOR he smiled and said the thing was too
| ridiculously absurd to be entertained for an
| instant.
ITS too prcposterous,n said tie colonel I;
but when pressed for an answer as 70 whether
he would accept challenge from Mr.
Ovington he init mated that he certainly
should not decline the Offer il that gentle
man was pleased TO send enc. "If u man Is
good enough TO stand up WITH said Col
Smith, Tho is certainly good enough TO
| fight
In the many newspaper articles animad-
verting on Col Smiths character, not ono Of
them made any allusion to tho fact that at
ono timo he was ono of the Lending men in
the country.
Col Smith was born in Kentucky about
1910, and he graduated from Harvard col
lege in 1850. In the first year OF the war
President Abraham Lincoln gazetted him as
then only 20 years old, and he was assigned
TO staH duty. 10 was eu sequontly trans
ferrod to Kentucky, where he was made
chief recruiting officer cr tie Union tro ,ps.
He was made colonel Of volunteers later
on
After the war President Andrew johnson
appointed him tho irst minister from this
country to the cour. of Greece. Col Smith,
after duo consideration, declined the mission
and resumed the practice Of law, tho first
principles Of which he acquired in the Office
OF Rufus Choato and at tho Harvard Law
school, from which institution he holds the
degree Of LII. &.
In ls,0 Col. Smith ran FOX congress on tho
Labor ticket against Wallo Hutchins, now
Democratic park commissioner, in tho West
chester congressional district. Smith re-
ceived something like l. 900 votes, although
the contest was won by Hutchins.
Col Smith is literary man and is Just
now engaged in writing magazine ARTICLES
Besides that he has business affiliations
here which require his frequent presence ia
New York. His family Is now staying in
Kentucky some miles from Louisville
From gentleman who is familiar With
tho circumstances Of tho controversy tho fol-
lowing facts, however, were cleaned The
statement comea from friend Of Col
Smith, who Of course naturally espouses the
latter's cause:
The young lady whom Mr. Ovington
married was only 10 years CID, wtile the
groom is said TO te wen on to 20. Ms,
Faulds, the lady who brought tho couple To-
gether, wGs The person who introduced blr.
Ovington TO Col. Smith. Down in Kentucky
n May and December wedding is not always
looked upon with favor. Col. Smith,
who is related to nearly all of tho
leading families in Kentucky, was
asked to be bcst man, because it
was thought that in view OF has social rs!a-
tons in Louisville and elsewl. re in the Blue
Grass state his presence would lend eciat 20
the affair. Another thing that was taken
into consideration WIS the fact that Col
Smith WAS the husband OF the late Horace
Greeley's loved daughter Ia, and this by it.
self lont social significance to the thing.
His friends in Kentucky think that the mar
riago Of n girl Of the brides tender wears to
gentleman Of moro than mature a,e.
whose mercantile Successes wer. his chief
attractions, gainet much by Col Smith ap-
pearins in such "a prominent role in the care
mony.
Col Smith says that he intends within d
few days to effectively set at rest the
ISLANDERS and innuon!os which have bean sat
af,oat regarding his character.
He feels that he is tb, ei,Srie Jed T,srtv in
the transaction and he Is satisfied that the
best people in Kentucky n-o unanimously of
that opinion.